Canadian Buffoon's Exhausted Vacation - Update 09/01 - New TR link!

[Steppesister]

I certainly understand that with your summer!

And now I can add finding a job, a bit more travel, unpacking and settling in, learning my way around town and figuring out a new culture....

I knew you had a different screen name at one point.
You've been writing for a long time!

And my writing has gone steadily downhill.

What?!?!?
Maybe you is not wise!

Wisdom is relative.

Was very disappointing.
But the fish tacos made up for it.

Curious, were they battered or sauteed? Authentic "San Diego" style is never battered and fried. Just.,... yuck. Lime with Mexican crema is the sauce. Soooo good!!

 

[pkondz]

And now I can add finding a job, a bit more travel, unpacking and settling in, learning my way around town and figuring out a new culture....

I get all the other stuff (and... )
but what do you mean "new culture"?

And my writing has gone steadily downhill.

I don't know your earlier writing,
but I certainly find that hard to believe.

Wisdom is relative.

I dunno.
Some of my relatives ain't that wise.

Curious, were they battered or sauteed?

Battered. Delish!

Authentic "San Diego" style is never battered and fried. Just.,... yuck.

Well, okay then.
I guess I wasn't in San Diego,
so can't really comment.
Maybe these weren't up
to your standards,
but for me, they were the
best I'd ever had.

Note to self, don't invite Steppesister
to Hecla for fish tacos.

Which is fine. More for me!

Lime with Mexican crema is the sauce. Soooo good!!

These had roasted jalapeno aioli and mango salsa.

 

[buzzrelly]

I remember very well the last time
we rented a cabin.
Kay was a baby and Elle was
still a toddler.
We rented a cabin that had a hot tub.
I bought Elle a toy fishing pole
that had a magnet in lieu of a hook,
and it came complete with plastic
fish with metal tabs.
She spent a lot of time in that tub.
Too much.
We pulled her out and she was happy…
And beet red.

And at the time this was probably not what you thought you'd remember from that trip! On our first WDW trip, my kids (2 & 4) loved the big whirlpool tub at OKW. We would fill it with bubbles and they'd stay in until they were prunes

Yes I know the cabin was "new" too.
But I'm writing this, so pipe down.

Okay, okay…just pointing it out

All that is left of the ferry terminal/dock.

Once a dancer, always a dancer Great shot!

I liked the look of it,
but was even more pleased
with the interior:

Okkkkk…not bad. I do like the little bed and chairs made from real wood

Kay said it was like she was
eating nothing but smoke.

Um, ew.

Live and learn.

It actually looks pretty good…except for the mushrooms…those have to go

We hopped into the car
and made the five minute
drive to the beach.

Very nice and not at all crowded!

This next photo shows a Bombardier
that was used for many purposes
including as a winter school bus.

So cute. It does look like a fat little school bus!

We finished up our short stay
in Hecla with a nice hike
through the woods.

So pretty!

What nice little getaway!

 

[pkondz]

And at the time this was probably not what you thought you'd remember from that trip!

No, it was not!

On our first WDW trip, my kids (2 & 4) loved the big whirlpool tub at OKW. We would fill it with bubbles and they'd stay in until they were prunes

Awww...
I have so many memories from my girls
when they were teeny and tub time.

Okay, okay…just pointing it out

Shush, you.

Once a dancer, always a dancer Great shot!

You're right! You can always tell, can't you?
Almost every shot you post of Allie, I'm like,
"Dancer... dancer... dancer... Yup, dancer."

Okkkkk…not bad. I do like the little bed and chairs made from real wood

The kitchen cabinets left a little to be desired,
but all the rest was really quaint.

Um, ew.

Correct, unfortunately.

It actually looks pretty good…except for the mushrooms…those have to go

Okay, no mushrooms for Kelly.

Very nice and not at all crowded!

Almost had it completely to ourselves.

So cute. It does look like a fat little school bus!

What nice little getaway!

It really was. I was very pleased with our little trip.
I'd wanted to go up there for literally decades,
but somehow just never seemed to go.
Glad we finally did.

 

[franandaj]

So! How’s everyone enjoying
this current round of Jumanji?

I think I'm down one of my lives....

For this portion of the summertime
update, it will be myself, Kay,
and my oldest DD, Elle.
And instead of tent camping,
we were renting a cabin.

I like the idea of a cabin better than a tent....

The island eventually became
part of a larger provincial park in 1969.
A causeway linking the mainland
to the island was only built in 1975.

Interesting history lesson.

All that is left of the ferry terminal/dock.

I'll drive. Thank you very much.

We arrived in the park in the afternoon
and, without much trouble, soon
found our accommodations for
the next couple of nights.

A little Spartan, but it is better than a tent.

I had bought a pizza stone
and some Applewood chips.
I planned to smoke a pizza
in a charcoal BBQ.

I was gonna say...I didn't see any oven in that kitchen....

Well… I guess maybe I was too impatient.
1. I didn’t wait for the stone to get really hot.
Mistake number one.
2. I added the wood chips way too soon.
The pizza was cooked, but… the crust
could’ve been crisper and… it was way
too smoky! Kay said it was like she was
eating nothing but smoke.

Bummer.

Bummer. Have you tried it again?

All three of us had a lot
of fun jumping over the waves
in water up to our necks.
I don’t remember how long
we were in the water,
but it was a pretty long time.

Later in the day, we hiked out
to the lighthouse, just to check it out.

Sounds like a chill day.

The next and last day was spent
on a guided tour of the historic
old townsite.

I like historic stuff!

(sorry. too stupid to take a photo of the desks. )

I ordered the fish tacos and
they were by far the best I’ve ever had.

Battered and fried or grilled?

Coming up… a whole n’other summer excursion.

I'm curious about this secret trip.....

 

[disneyAndi14]

For this portion of the summertime
update, it will be myself, Kay,
and my oldest DD, Elle.
And instead of tent camping,
we were renting a cabin.

This looks like a nice getaway and I’m all for a cabin over a tent

I bought Elle a toy fishing pole
that had a magnet in lieu of a hook,
and it came complete with plastic
fish with metal tabs.
She spent a lot of time in that tub.
Too much.
We pulled her out and she was happy…
And beet red.

We had the same fishing pole for Andi when she was small, she loved it. She was quite the little outdoor girl. She would take saunas after a day snowshoeing or fishing and her little cheeks would be bright red!

Hecla island is an interesting area.
It was first settled by Icelandic
immigrants back in 1876.
The island was fairly isolated
with ferry service only beginning
after WWII.

Looks like a nice place! What lake is it on, I would think a large one with the history of fishing. Smoked fish is big here along the shore of Lake Superior. My dad use to love it. I’m not a huge fan. The taste never goes away in my opinion.

We arrived in the park in the afternoon
and, without much trouble, soon
found our accommodations for
the next couple of nights.

Looks like a nice secluded cabin

Room enough for all of us.

I had bought a pizza stone
and some Applewood chips.
I planned to smoke a pizza
in a charcoal BBQ

That sounds really good

Well... the best laid plans.

Oh no!

and… it was way
too smoky! Kay said it was like she was
eating nothing but smoke.

Oh boy, it looks really good in the picture, I love mushrooms on a pizza

After dinner, we went for a stroll
and sashayed over to the m

Looks like some nice trails and you have to have a fire

I don’t remember how long
we were in the water,
but it was a pretty long time.

Beautiful beach area, big waves reminds me of here on Lake Superior, way to cold to swim in it for me!

The next and last day was spent
on a guided tour of the historic
old townsite.
Our guide was very knowledgeable
and we all enjoyed the tou

Cool, I have been on a bombardier many times, that’s what you do in Northern Minnesota in the winter.

Lastly, we visited a one-room
schoolhouse, complete with desks
that still showed kids’ graffiti
from the 1930s.
Reminded me of Walt’s desk

Very cool, I love history and old things!

I unfortunately didn’t take a
food porn photo, though.
I ordered the fish tacos and
they were by far the best I’ve ever had.
I was shocked at how tasty they were!
I want to go back (a three-hour round
trip drive) just for those fish tacos.

I can’t believe you didn’t give us a little food porn! We have a little hole in the wall tavern by us and they have the best fish friy and fish tacos, the fish is fresh from Lake Superior, it is delicious!

 

[pkondz]

I think I'm down one of my lives....

Is that a good thing
or a bad thing?!?!?

I like the idea of a cabin better than a tent....

That seems to be the consensus.

I'll drive. Thank you very much.

Not before the causeway
was built you won't!

I was gonna say...I didn't see any oven in that kitchen....

Nope!

Bummer. Have you tried it again?

No, I haven't.
But I've been thinking about it.

I like historic stuff!

Me too!

Battered and fried or grilled?

Battered and fried.
I really liked the crunch
it gave it.

I'm curious about this secret trip.....

Coming up soon.

 

[pkondz]

This looks like a nice getaway and I’m all for a cabin over a tent

Everyone is saying that!

We had the same fishing pole for Andi when she was small, she loved it. She was quite the little outdoor girl. She would take saunas after a day snowshoeing or fishing and her little cheeks would be bright red!

Then you know exactly
what I'm talking about!

Looks like a nice place! What lake is it on, I would think a large one with the history of fishing.

It is large.
It's Lake Winnipeg.
It's about the same size as Erie.
(And larger than Lake Ontario.
So larger than one of the "Great Lakes".)
It's the 12th largest lake in the world, by area.

Smoked fish is big here along the shore of Lake Superior. My dad use to love it. I’m not a huge fan. The taste never goes away in my opinion.

Huh.
I hadn't noticed that.
But I think I understand.

Looks like a nice secluded cabin

That sounds really good

<sigh>

Oh boy, it looks really good in the picture, I love mushrooms on a pizza

Looks can be deceiving...
Overwhelmingly smokey.

Looks like some nice trails and you have to have a fire

Absolutely!

Beautiful beach area, big waves reminds me of here on Lake Superior, way to cold to swim in it for me!

Lake Winnipeg may be large
by area, but not volume.
(21st largest by volume)
It's fairly shallow, so the water,
while not overly warm,
wasn't overly cold either.

Cool, I have been on a bombardier many times, that’s what you do in Northern Minnesota in the winter.

You have! Cool!
I've never been.
I don't know if there are any
still working up here.
Everyone has a snowmobile now.

Very cool, I love history and old things!

Me too.

I can’t believe you didn’t give us a little food porn!

Sorry!
To be honest, when I was
on these trips, I really wasn't
sure if I'd do a TR update or not.

We have a little hole in the wall tavern by us and they have the best fish friy and fish tacos, the fish is fresh from Lake Superior, it is delicious!

That sounds good!
This was fresh pickerel.
(Or Walleye as it's known in the US.)

 

[suse66]

So! How’s everyone enjoying
this current round of Jumanji?

The game can end any time now, thanks.

Hecla island is an interesting area.
It was first settled by Icelandic
immigrants back in 1876.
The island was fairly isolated
with ferry service only beginning
after WWII.

I am going to test my limited Manitoba geography knowledge.....how close would it be to Gimli for example?

It was a bit breezy, which had
the effect of making three
to four-foot waves.
All three of us had a lot
of fun jumping over the waves
in water up to our necks.
I don’t remember how long
we were in the water,
but it was a pretty long time.

Love perfect beach days like that. Playing in the waves is so fun!

That evening, at Kay’s urging,
we ate at the local restaurant.
You could tell that Covid was
having an impact, even here.
There were plenty of patrons…
but only 3 servers.
I could tell they were being
run off their feet.
It took a while to get service
and even longer to get our food.
I didn’t complain.

I feel so badly for staff in the service industry, such a hard time when they are often short staffed and dealing with less than pleasant people.

We finished up our short stay
in Hecla with a nice hike
through the woods.

Looks beautiful!

 

[pkondz]

The game can end any time now, thanks.

Then roll a 12 already!

I am going to test my limited Manitoba geography knowledge.....how close would it be to Gimli for example?

Quite close!
We passed Gimli on our way.
It's about another hour north.

Love perfect beach days like that. Playing in the waves is so fun!

I feel so badly for staff in the service industry, such a hard time when they are often short staffed and dealing with less than pleasant people.

We had to wait for our server.
Then we had to wait for her
to take our order.
Then we had to wait for our food.

Normally, three strikes you're out, but...
I tipped very well.

Looks beautiful!

It was!

 

[MeghanEmily]

She spent a lot of time in that tub.
Too much.
We pulled her out and she was happy…
And beet red.

Whoops!

She was fine… just… a bit well done.

Haha! Whoops! But I guess as long as she caught lots of fish...no harm done!

I liked the look of it,
but was even more pleased
with the interior:

Nice! Looks rustic, but on purpose, and nice and clean inside. I love the log furniture.

Because I’m a fungi

One of the funnest gi's I know!

The beach looks really nice How was the water temperature?

It was a bit breezy, which had
the effect of making three
to four-foot waves.
All three of us had a lot
of fun jumping over the waves
in water up to our necks.

Fun! Must have kept things interesting.

Lastly, we visited a one-room
schoolhouse, complete with desks
that still showed kids’ graffiti
from the 1930s.

Cool! How authentic

Pretty sure my omission was
appreciated when we rounded
a bend and were confronted with!!!!


A deer.

Oh yay! One of Kay's favourite things!

 

[pkondz]

Haha! Whoops! But I guess as long as she caught lots of fish...no harm done!

She survived unscathed.

Nice! Looks rustic, but on purpose, and nice and clean inside. I love the log furniture.

It was just about perfect for a couple days of "roughing it".

One of the funnest gi's I know!

Thanks!

The beach looks really nice How was the water temperature?

Depends.
For you and me? Warm!
For anyone from a southern State...
Freezing!

Fun! Must have kept things interesting.

It was a blast!

Cool! How authentic

Oh yay! One of Kay's favourite things!

Believe it was a doe.
A deer, but a female deer.

 

[vamassey1]

First off I have to say that I have really missed your writing. Thank you so much for posting again.

So how was your summer?
Kids back in school? Grandkids? You???

Summer was hot and went by too fast. Actually the last 18 months or so seem so unreal. The Grands are back in school.

How’d they get so old???
Thank goodness I haven’t aged a day.

What night cream do you use? I need some to stop the march of wrinkles I'm seeing.

Whoopsie! Did I say that out loud?
Sorry. That’s breaking the parent code.
Don’t tell me you haven’t thought it,
at least in passing, at least once.

Been there done that. I took my first trip to Disney with just Danielle in 2009. Before we left I spent lots of time wondering if I would make it through.

I will say, however, that she sure knows
how to pick… and get a nice campsite.

Question for the reader
(Readers? Plural?
Is that being too presumptuous?)
Hot Dogs… ketchup. Yes or no???

First off I like my Hot Dogs "dirty", meaning a little burnt. I use to like ketchup now I like mustard.

Actually.... chipmunk.
So everyone just calm the heck down.

I was just thinking the was a chipmunk not squirrel. Thank you for confirming

Is a camping trip really a camping trip
If there’s a fire, but there’s no S’mores?????

Totally agree!

I was actually not overly upset by that.
After working pretty much nonstop for a year,
a day of lying in the tent, reading, watching movies,
and playing cards wasn’t particularly unpalatable.

I look forward to times when I do not have to do anything due to circumstances, otherwise I feel like I should be in constant motion.

They were very polite.
Said "Sorry" a lot.
Canadians, obviously.

Who’s thinking of wrinkled prune butts???
Anyone?
If you weren’t, you are now.

You’re welcome.

Thanks for putting that thought in my head.

Kay called it the highlight of the trip.

She's a "Deer Whisperer".

She reached forward and I said,
“It’s a…”
<POKE!>
“…wasp nest.”

Oops!

Luckily, the wasps boiled and spun
in the air above their nest and didn’t
seem to connect the two idiots standing
nearby, to their home invasion.

You were both very lucky they did not come after you

 

[vamassey1]

And instead of tent camping,
we were renting a cabin.

This is more my kind of camping.

Hecla island is an interesting area.

Very interesting. Love areas with some history and lovely sites.

I liked the look of it,
but was even more pleased
with the interior:

Very cute and rustic.

This looks really good.

The pizza was cooked, but… the crust
could’ve been crisper and… it was way
too smoky! Kay said it was like she was
eating nothing but smoke.

I'm disappointed it didn't turn out as good as you wanted.

It was a bit breezy, which had
the effect of making three
to four-foot waves.
All three of us had a lot
of fun jumping over the waves
in water up to our necks.
I don’t remember how long
we were in the water,
but it was a pretty long time.

This sounds fun and like it's some really good exercise.

We were allowed in to various
buildings that originally had been
used either for fish processing
or as ice houses to keep fish
throughout the year and were
now basically museums.

Very interesting.

I ordered the fish tacos and
they were by far the best I’ve ever had.
I was shocked at how tasty they were!
I want to go back (a three-hour round
trip drive) just for those fish tacos.

And now I'm hungry.

 

[pkondz]

First off I have to say that I have really missed your writing. Thank you so much for posting again.

And the next update is being
written as we speak.

Summer was hot and went by too fast.

Tell me about it!
Although I suspect yours
was hotter.

Actually the last 18 months or so seem so unreal. The Grands are back in school.

Hopefully they'll be able
to put in a full year.

What night cream do you use? I need some to stop the march of wrinkles I'm seeing.

Nah.
You're perfect.

Been there done that. I took my first trip to Disney with just Danielle in 2009. Before we left I spent lots of time wondering if I would make it through.

I feel your pain.

First off I like my Hot Dogs "dirty", meaning a little burnt. I use to like ketchup now I like mustard.

You're not alone.
I know others who like
their dogs a little burnt.

So... just mustard?
Or both?

Totally agree!

I look forward to times when I do not have to do anything due to circumstances, otherwise I feel like I should be in constant motion.

I am in constant motion!

Thanks for putting that thought in my head.

You're welcome!


prune butt

She's a "Deer Whisperer".

Yes she is!

You were both very lucky they did not come after you

Right???

 

[pkondz]

This is more my kind of camping.

You're not alone with that comment!

Very interesting. Love areas with some history and lovely sites.

It was really nice, there.

Very cute and rustic.

This looks really good.

If only...

I'm disappointed it didn't turn out as good as you wanted.

We all were.

This sounds fun and like it's some really good exercise.

And now I'm hungry.

Sorry about that!
I can recommend a good
fish taco place.

 

[vamassey1]

And the next update is being
written as we speak.

Tell me about it! :sad2"
Although I suspect yours
was hotter.

You better believe it was. We had a nice cool snap right after Liesa passed through, but we're back to hot and humid.

Hopefully they'll be able
to put in a full year.

Fingers crossed.

Nah.
You're perfect.

You're too kind.

You're not alone.
I know others who like
their dogs a little burnt.

So others have good taste too.

So... just mustard?
Or both?

If it's off the grill I like a little mustard. If we're doing chili dogs I want. some mustard, chili, light onions and lots of shredded cheese.

prune butt

You're not alone with that comment!

I saw most agree with me.

Sorry about that!
I can recommend a good
fish taco place.

We actually has tacos from a new to us spot tonight. I went with two different pork tacos and was only able to finish 1 and half of the other one. I had the Smoked Pulled Pork and Cochinita Pork.

JoVi's Tacos

 

[pkondz]

We had a nice cool snap right after Liesa passed through, but we're back to hot and humid.

So she brought some cool
Pacific Northwest weather,
did she?

Fingers crossed.

You're too kind.

And honest to a fault.

So others have good taste too.

Maybe!

If it's off the grill I like a little mustard. If we're doing chili dogs I want. some mustard, chili, light onions and lots of shredded cheese.

It's funny...
I like cheese.
I like cheese on most things.
I like lots of stuff on a hot dog.

But cheese is definitely not.

We actually has tacos from a new to us spot tonight. I went with two different pork tacos and was only able to finish 1 and half of the other one. I had the Smoked Pulled Pork and Cochinita Pork.

That place sounds good.
Pickled purple onions...
Intriguing. How was that?

 

[pkondz]

Summer’s Last Gasp.
(Part 1)

Day 1

August was winding down
and I had one last getaway planned.
This time it was going to be just
myself traveling, however.

And for the first time in a very
long while, I was going to be flying.

It felt great to be back at an airport.

And that feeling didn’t last overly long
as right off the hop, I ran into trouble.

This ain’t my first rodeo.
I’ve done this before.
I check in within 24 hours of the flight.
Get my boarding pass on my phone.
Arrive at the airport in plenty of time.
Use the self-serve kiosk to print off
a baggage tag…


Use the self-serve to print off…

Use the self…

Why isn’t this thing working?

The device, just prior to printing
my boarding pass, froze up and rebooted.

Okay, then…

I moved to another unit.
Select airline, scan boarding pass,
answer the “are you a terrorist?” questions,
print baggage tag…
“Unable to complete request.
Please see an agent at customer service
for assistance.”

Oh, for Pete’s sake!

I try another kiosk, just in case…
Nope.

An agent approached me.
“Do you need some help?”
“Yeah, it won’t print off the baggage tag.”
“Then you’ll have to see customer service.”

Yeah. Thanks. I got that.
I looked at my usual baggage drop line.
No one there.
I looked at the customer service line.
About a dozen or more people in line.
None of them looked like they’d moved
since Wilbur yelled at Orville,
“Me next! Me! Me next!”
(You just know anyone named "Orville"
has gotta be a whiner, right?)

I’m quite sure lines were invented
at around the same time travel was.

Prior to that, people mostly just… milled around.

I got in line.
Good thing I gave myself extra time.
For Covid… but this worked too.

I eventually got to the front of the line.
“Where’s your baggage tag?” She asked.
I did not kill the agent.
She’s just doing her job.

I believe her job was to irritate us
schmucks enough that next time
we’d use the kiosks.

I told her what happened and she
quickly printed off a tag, stuck it
on the bag and I was on my way.

At least there was hardly anyone
at security, so that was relatively painless.

I’m sure you know the drill.
Dump your carry-on on the belt.
Remove your own belt and anything
Else that’s metal or has metal in it.
Pray your pants don’t fall down.
Shuffle through the detector,
praying all the while that you
haven’t forgotten anything metallic
on your person.
Stand with arms raised in the
device whose sole purpose
is to let hidden agents snicker
at your virtually nude body
as your pants inexorably begin
their descent to your ankles.
Hold onto your pants while
you wait for your belt to show up.
Look on with dismay as your
carry-on is once again, selected
for “random” screening.

Same ol’ same ol’.

Of course, flying in Canada
does have its differences.

And, you don’t have
to take off your shoes.


So there’s that.


Not overly long after,
I and about 150 other intrepid
travelers did the airplane shuffle,
and in fits and starts, eventually
found our seats and took off.

After an uneventful flight
(which is always a good thing…
you do not want events)
the announcement came
that we would soon be landing
and I caught my first glimpses
of Vancouver, British Columbia.

And I’m going to take this opportunity
to apologize in advance.
I wasn’t really planning on writing
about this, so there’s not going to be much
in the way of food porn, or hotel shots.
Indeed, I need to apologize for the
shots that you will see.
They’re all done with the phone,
and not the good camera.

I’ve tried to cull the really lousy
ones, but… you get what you get.
Moving on…


Arriving in Vancouver, I took the
SkyTrain over to my hotel
and got checked in.
I had dinner at a nearby restaurant,
played a little bit of blackjack
at the casino (won $30-$50,
better than losing),
and called it a night.


Day 2

I picked up a car for the rest
of the trip and headed out.

Capilano suspension bridge
is one of the longest in the
world at 460’ long.
It’s a very popular tourist attraction
that brings over a million visitors/year.

And at $60 for a ticket (combined with
the fact I’d been there before)
I figured there was no way in heck
that I was going to do that again.

Instead, I headed over to Lynn Canyon
where for free I got to cross a slightly
more modest (150’) suspension bridge
as well as hike some far less crowded trails.

It was just what I needed to unwind
and re-center myself.

After breathing in some fresh air
and encountering very few people,
(Perfect. On both counts)
it was time to see a couple more
touristy/kitschy sites.

The first item that fit the bill
was Gastown’s Steam Clock.
(Gastown itself is named after
a loquacious saloon keeper whose
nickname was Gassy Jack.)

The clock is either the first
or second steam clock ever built.
It’s a bit of a misnomer, however,
as the clock, while partially powered
by steam, has an electric motor as well.
Nevertheless, every quarter-hour,
the four steam pipes at the top of the clock,
whistle out a merry tune much to the
enjoyment of the crowd that gathers
in anticipation… and then immediately
disperses as the last note fades.
Ah well, it's just so much hot air, after all.

Turning away from the now silent clock,
I made my way just a couple of blocks west
where Gastown’s iconic Hotel Europe resides.

Love flat iron buildings,
and this one is no exception.

But now… food.
It was getting onto noon
and it was time for some dim sum.
I made my way over to the nearby
Chinatown which I couldn’t fail but
notice when I’d arrived.

The nearby markets provided a feast
for both the eyes and the nose.
You can almost smell this photo, can’t you?

Again, however, I have failed you.
I neither took a photo of the restaurant
(Jade Dynasty) nor of the dim sum.
I can tell you that while the food
was fine, it’s always just a little
disappointing when I go for dim sum
and I have to order off the menu.
I want steaming carts of stacked
bamboo baskets streaming past
in an endless parade.
And this was not the case, here.
Ah well. I nevertheless left quite full.

Which means, a little exercise is in order.
I made the quick, ten-minute drive
over to Yes Cycle where I rented
a bike for a couple of hours.

There were several bike-rental companies
in the area, and no surprise there.
For nearby was Vancouver’s famous
Stanley Park.
This park is listed by many respected
travel guides as one of the best city
parks in the world.
No less than Condé Nast, Far and Wide,
Travel & Leisure, Fodors, and a multitude
of others all proclaim Stanley Park
to be one of the world’s best.

With a song in my heart, I set out
on a journey of circumnavigation
via the Sea Wall that runs along the
ocean and encircles the park.

Some of the sights along the way.

Canada Place (seen across the water
in the above photo) is an iconic
Canadian landmark.
It is the home to the city’s
Convention Centre and World Trade Centre
as well as the launchpad for cruise ships.
Its fabric roof was designed to
resemble ship’s sails.

It was a gorgeous day for a cruise
of my own and more and more sights
greeted me with every revolution
of my tires.

Just up ahead was one of
Vancouver’s most well-known,
and controversial sculptures.

“Girl in a Wetsuit” is a bronze
sculpture that was created in 1972.
It is certainly evocative of Copenhagen’s
famous “Little Mermaid” statue,
but the author claims that the idea,
being a girl in a wetsuit, with flippers
and a mask, was “a new idea.”
Judge for yourselves.
The Little Mermaid (statue) - Wikipedia

Unfortunately, I was unable to
quite complete my perimeter tour
of the park.
At roughly the half-way point,
I encountered a mass of cyclists
and pedestrians who were turning around.
(I later learned that perhaps someone had
fallen ill, been injured, or died on the path.)
There was a detour, that I had just passed
that took you up a steep, winding road
to Prospect Point, the highest point in the park.
Climbing the steep road was not easy.
But after one or two stops,
I arrived safely, if a bit winded, at the top.

And I was glad I did.
Stanley Park’s only ice cream shop was there!

After a refreshing break, I continued
my journey… at a very rapid pace!
After climbing up to the top…
There was no place to go, but… down!!!
It was with a mixture of terror and exhilaration
that I raced down the hill,
easily passing cars who seemed
to be crawling along at the posted
speed limit of 30km/h (20mph).

And with that, I returned the bike,
reclaimed the car, returned to the
hotel and called it a night.

I’ll be back shortly with
Part 2 and the highlight
of this trip.

Bonus Chapter. Summer's Last Gasp (2)​

 

[KathyM2]

I told her what happened and she
quickly printed off a tag, stuck it
on the bag and I was on my way.

Of course, flying in Canada
does have its differences.

Nice...I've seen one where you must stay a moose away from others, very Canadian indeed.

Instead, I headed over to Lynn Canyon
where for free I got to cross a slightly
more modest (150’) suspension bridge
as well as hike some far less crowded trails.

This is a good tip. I do love the Capilano suspension bridge and all the kitch that goes along with it, but in covid times your idea is much better!!

The clock is either the first
or second steam clock ever built.

Been there, seen that clock...but did not know that history. Interesting.

I want steaming carts of stacked
bamboo baskets streaming past
in an endless parade.

There's one place in Toronto we used to go to with the carts...but again...darn covid I don't know if they will come back. I like being able to see the food, even pictures on a menu is not the same.